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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. object — to protest
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wax — to grow
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. charge — a price
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. object — an aim
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pit — a hole
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rash — a series
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. charge — in control
  18. object — a thing
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. charge — electricity
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com