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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. can — a tin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. toast — bread
  7. bass — low music
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wake — a trail
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bass — the fish
  14. can — a tin
  15. bank — for money
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bass — the instrument

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