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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: craft · bay · firm · dip · wave · cold · bass · mouse

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. firm — steady
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. firm — decided
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. craft — boats
  11. firm — a company
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bass — low music
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. craft — a skill
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cold — not warm
  24. wave — of the sea

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