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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.

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: bass · dip · wave · key · straw · wake · bulb · pop

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pop — soda
  15. key — in music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bass — low music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. key — for a lock
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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