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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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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: wave · bass · dip · hand · date · rash · can · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — hasty
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a song
  12. bass — low music
  13. hand — help
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — a series
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. track — to keep track
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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