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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. file — a tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — electric
  7. row — a line
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bass — the fish
  12. file — a document
  13. chip — for betting
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. current — of water
  17. row — to paddle
  18. current — happening now
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. file — a line of people
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. foot — part of the body

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