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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bass — the fish
  4. face — part of the head
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bass — low music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. face — to confront
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. dip — to sink

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