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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. dip — to sink
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bass — the fish
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. squash — the sport

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