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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bass — low music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lie — to recline
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cue — for pool

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