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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 116 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: tube · perch · cabinet · pop · bass · wave · dip · snap

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. snap — to click
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. tube — a container
  15. pop — music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pop — soda
  24. bass — low music

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