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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
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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: clip · bass · lie · game · dip · jam · wave · cap

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cap — a hat
  3. dip — to sink
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bass — the fish
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. game — a match
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. clip — to cut
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cap — a lid
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. clip — a video
  18. bass — low music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — an untruth

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