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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bass — low music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. shower — rain
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bulb — for light
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. shower — to wash
  24. coach — a trainer

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