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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: mouse · staff · object · dip · bass · tube · arm · wake

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. object — a thing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bass — low music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. object — an aim
  8. tube — a container
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. staff — a stick
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — to protest

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