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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 120 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. object — to protest
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bass — low music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. dip — to sink
  7. suit — clothes
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. object — an aim
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. suit — to fit
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — the fish
  24. row — a line

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