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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. branch — a division
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — to sink
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bass — low music
  19. key — in music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — the most important part

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