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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.

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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: spell · lie · trunk · wax · coach · stem · date · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lie — to recline
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — the fruit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — magic
  16. wax — to grow
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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