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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fine — all right
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. scale — in music
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bass — the fish
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. scale — size or range

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