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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pop — to visit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pop — soda
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pitch — completely
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pop — music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lean — thin
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — a song
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. craft — boats
  23. lean — to bend
  24. craft — a skill

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