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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: mine · mark · dip · straw · prune · bass · fan · calf

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mark — a grade
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bass — the fish
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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