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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · dip · mouse · calf · lie · toast · coach · wake

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. toast — bread
  6. bass — low music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. dip — to sink
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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