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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. clip — a video
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. season — of the year
  9. clip — to cut
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. club — for dancing
  12. season — in sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. clip — for paper
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. club — for golf
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rock — to move gently

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