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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — in control
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. charge — a price
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — low music
  17. stock — shares
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fall — the season
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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