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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. object — to protest
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. dip — to sink
  12. object — a thing
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. object — an aim
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. plane — in geometry
  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