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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rock — music
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bass — low music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rock — a stone

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