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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
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: sharp · can · club · kick · dip · bass · bay · wound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bass — low music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wound — an injury
  14. club — for dancing
  15. can — a tin
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. kick — in football
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kick — a thrill

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