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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. prune — to trim
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. current — of water
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cue — a hint
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — to sink
  18. current — happening now
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — electric
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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