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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. net — in sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bass — low music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. net — for catching
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. net — after costs
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — to put up with

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