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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — the animal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. spell — magic
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — rain
  10. squash — to crush
  11. dip — to sink
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bass — low music
  14. craft — boats
  15. shower — to wash
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bass — the fish
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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