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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. net — for catching
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bass — the fish
  9. net — after costs
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. clip — a video
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. vault — a safe
  19. net — in sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bass — low music

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