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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. staff — employees
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. game — wild animals
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rest — a break
  12. game — a match
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rest — what's left
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. bank — for money

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