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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. band — a music group
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. row — to paddle
  17. band — a ring
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bass — low music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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