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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. capital — money
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bass — low music
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chest — a box
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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