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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · mouse · wake · rush · race · capital · prune · bay

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. race — a contest
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bulb — for light
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. capital — a city
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rush — hurry
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. race — humankind
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. capital — money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. capital — a big letter

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