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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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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: bass · mug · roll · bulb · band · arm · wake · mate

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mug — a cup
  4. band — a music group
  5. roll — a list
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wake — a trail
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a friend
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a ring

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