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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. dip — to sink
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. row — a line
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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