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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pit — in a race
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mate — a friend
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. face — to confront
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bass — low music
  19. spell — magic
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kid — to tease
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spell — letters

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