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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rock — a stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — goods
  9. staff — employees
  10. stock — shares
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rock — music
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bass — low music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. roll — a list
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. roll — a cake
  24. chest — a box

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