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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spell — letters
  6. season — in sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bound — certain
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spell — magic
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bass — the fish
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bay — a horse colour

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