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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. staff — employees
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mark — a trace
  9. staff — a stick
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tear — from crying
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tear — to rip
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. suit — clothes
  18. file — a document
  19. mark — a grade
  20. file — a tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bass — low music
  24. staff — employees

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