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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. dip — to sink
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hand — help
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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