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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rest — a break
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bat — the animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — low music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bass — the fish

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