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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · tear · stick · wax · ball · dip · mine · firm

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. firm — steady
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. firm — decided
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — for digging
  19. tear — to rip
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — a company
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mine — an explosive

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