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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spring — the season
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bass — low music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spring — of water
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. firm — decided
  12. wound — an injury
  13. firm — steady
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. firm — a company
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wound — an injury

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