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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — a container
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — low music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bat — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bat — in an idiom

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