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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. tear — from crying
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bass — low music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. dip — to sink

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