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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spell — letters
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bass — low music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bass — the fish
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spell — magic
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lean — thin

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