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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ball — a dance
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. snap — to click
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bass — low music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rush — hurry
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rock — a stone

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