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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.

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: key · bay · file · net · saw · dip · bass · rest

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bass — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. file — a tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. file — a document
  9. net — after costs
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. file — a line of people
  13. key — in music
  14. bass — low music
  15. net — in sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. net — for catching
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rest — a break

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