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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — low music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ball — a dance
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. calf — a young animal

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