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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rush — hurry
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mate — a partner

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