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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. file — a document
  6. drill — the tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. cold — not warm
  9. firm — a company
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. row — a line
  16. mug — to rob
  17. firm — decided
  18. drill — army training
  19. mug — a face
  20. drill — a practice
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bass — the fish
  24. firm — steady

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