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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. roll — a cake
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. staff — employees
  20. bound — certain
  21. staff — a stick
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. squash — to crush

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