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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.

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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: ruler · cabinet · pop · tear · pit · bass · bay · lean

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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. cabinet — ministers
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bass — low music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pop — soda
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lean — thin
  18. pop — music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the instrument

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