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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. squash — the sport
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bass — low music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bass — the fish
  14. band — a music group
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — to bend
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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