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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · coach · cue · tear · prune · bulb · mug · bass

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the fish
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. tear — to rip
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — low music

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