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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: straw · bowl · mug · stand · spell · bay · bass · rest

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rest — a break
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mug — a cup
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. mug — a face
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bass — low music
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rest — what's left
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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