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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — a hat
  6. band — a music group
  7. cap — a lid
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wax — in the ear

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