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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bass — low music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. clip — a video
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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