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

Word bank: bay · chest · mate · mouse · tear · cue · bass · cabinet

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chest — a box
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bass — low music
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mate — a friend
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mate — to breed

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