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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.

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: dip · rock · wax · spell · bay · coach · degree · bulb

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bulb — for light

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