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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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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rest — a break
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — a container
  7. bound — obliged
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bass — the fish
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — certain

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