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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: mug · bowl · clip · wax · dip · pitcher · key · kid

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. clip — a video
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wax — to grow
  16. key — the most important part
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kid — child

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