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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kid — to tease
  8. staff — employees
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — low music
  12. staff — employees
  13. kid — child
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. staff — a stick
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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