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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. spring — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bass — the fish
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pit — a hole

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