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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fall — the season
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tube — a container
  19. drill — army training
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — the underground

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