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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. face — to confront
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. shower — rain
  13. rock — music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bass — low music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. row — a line
  21. pound — a weight
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pound — for dogs

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