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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. swing — music
  3. court — of law
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ground — the earth
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. swing — to play on
  10. court — of a king
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — for sport
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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