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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 120 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: dip · bay · foot · shower · cabinet · current · spell · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — to wash
  4. current — of water
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. dip — to sink
  9. current — happening now
  10. spell — magic
  11. shower — rain
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spell — letters
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the fish

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