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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bass — low music
  3. race — the arms race
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fine — high quality
  6. squash — the sport
  7. race — humankind
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fine — all right
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — to bend
  14. track — a song
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — thin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. race — a contest
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. squash — to crush

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