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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bass — low music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rest — a break
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. swing — to play on
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rush — hurry
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. swing — music
  16. fall — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — a match
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fall — to drop

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