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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 116 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: mug · snap · cue · bass · stick · rule · bay · bulb

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rule — government
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mug — to rob
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bass — low music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mug — a face
  16. rule — a law
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — to rule out

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