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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. root — the cause
  10. land — a country
  11. roll — a cake
  12. land — to come down
  13. dip — to sink
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. root — of a plant
  20. land — ground
  21. roll — a list
  22. root — of a word
  23. saw — the tool
  24. toast — bread

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