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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — a container
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — a trail
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bass — the fish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bass — low music
  15. file — a document
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. band — a ring
  19. file — a line of people
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. tube — the underground
  23. band — a music group
  24. file — a tool

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