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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — the amount
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bass — low music
  8. lean — thin
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. content — happy
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bat — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. plane — 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