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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: wave · dip · bass · toast · key · lie · spell · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bass — low music
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chest — a box
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. dip — to dunk

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