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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. swing — music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. swing — in golf
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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