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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.

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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: bowl · dip · bass · rock · wake · pop · stem · lie

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pop — soda
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rock — music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wake — a trail

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