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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bass — low music
  4. rock — music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rock — a stone
  8. key — for a lock
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. key — in music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — of ice
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bulb — for light

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