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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — ground
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. land — to come down
  9. spell — letters
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spell — a short time
  15. band — a music group
  16. season — of the year
  17. spell — magic
  18. land — a country

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