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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. spell — letters
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — magic
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. band — a ring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — the month
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. band — a music group
  23. rush — hurry
  24. march — music

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