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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. last — finally
  4. bass — the fish
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — to go on
  9. band — a music group
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — a stone
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. last — final
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. band — a ring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — low music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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