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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: bay · bat · cabinet · clip · dip · wake · bulb · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. clip — a video
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bat — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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