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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. kick — in football
  10. track — a song
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. track — a path
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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