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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. dip — to sink
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bass — low music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. season — of the year
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. track — a path
  14. snap — to click
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. season — in sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bank — for money

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