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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · mug · wind · bass · lie · bay · spell · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. mug — a face
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spell — a short time
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bass — the fish
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mug — a cup
  16. spell — magic
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spell — letters
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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