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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. prune — to trim
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cap — a lid
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lean — thin
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bass — low music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. band — a ring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. band — a rubber band

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