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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. scale — in music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tear — from crying
  19. firm — decided
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. tear — from crying
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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