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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. bass — the fish
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — a division
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. dip — a sauce

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