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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
468
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: saw · can · racket · bass · file · dip · cold · squash

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. file — a line of people
  7. dip — to sink
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bass — low music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — the fish
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cold — an illness
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cold — not warm
  24. file — a document

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