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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mate — to breed
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lie — to recline
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. row — a line
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bass — low music
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bass — the fish
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. clip — a video
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mate — a friend

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