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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. shower — rain
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. shower — to wash
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mug — a face
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rock — music

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