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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bass — low music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pop — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pop — soda
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. prune — to trim

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