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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: wind · cabinet · rock · pit · fan · bass · calf · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rock — music
  4. bass — low music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pit — a hole
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rock — a stone

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