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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. pit — a hole
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. row — to paddle
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. row — a line
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bass — low music
  19. bound — certain
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bound — tied together
  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