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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bass — low music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — the fish
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. scale — in music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  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