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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · rock · bass · rest · bay · tube · bear · wound

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. rock — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — a container
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — music
  24. bay — a horse colour

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