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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. tube — the underground
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bank — for money
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — a container
  17. file — a document
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. foot — a measure
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. file — a tool

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