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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bass — low music
  3. spring — the season
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mug — a cup
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spring — a coil
  9. band — a music group
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spring — of water
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a ring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a face

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