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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — of a river
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bass — low music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tube — a container
  10. deal — to handle
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bank — for money
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. dip — to sink
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. dip — a sauce

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