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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — low music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. board — to get on
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. board — a committee
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — in sport
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. net — after costs
  15. craft — boats
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. net — for catching
  24. lie — to recline

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