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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pop — music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lean — thin
  10. pop — to visit
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pop — soda
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. foot — a measure
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — low music

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