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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. march — the month
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. root — of a plant
  6. dip — to sink
  7. deal — to handle
  8. march — the month
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. craft — boats
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a skill
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. march — music

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