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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. dip — to sink
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. clip — to cut
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. clip — a video
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mouse — the animal

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