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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cap — of ice
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cap — a lid
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cap — a hat

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