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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — of water
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bound — certain
  6. spring — the season
  7. bound — obliged
  8. craft — boats
  9. spring — a coil
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hand — help
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stand — to bear

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