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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: fan · bay · dip · lean · tear · toast · bass · scale

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — low music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to bend
  11. scale — in music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. scale — size or range
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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