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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. dip — to sink
  3. key — in music
  4. band — a ring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. band — a music group
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bank — for money
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — the instrument

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