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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. row — to paddle
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. suit — clothes
  9. key — in music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. suit — to fit
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — low music
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — in cards
  20. key — for a lock
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. tear — from crying
  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