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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. suit — in cards
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wax — to grow
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. suit — to fit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. date — the fruit
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. suit — clothes
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ball — a great time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wound — an injury

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