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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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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rock — music
  3. last — final
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. last — to go on
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bank — for money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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