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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bass — low music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cap — a lid
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kick — in football
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kick — with a leg

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