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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.

Make a worksheet

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: swing · bass · clip · key · bulb · bay · root · rush

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bass — low music
  6. clip — for paper
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — the most important part
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. key — in music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. root — the cause
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bass — the fish
  21. root — of a word
  22. clip — a video
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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