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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.

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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: squash · bulb · lie · tear · bass · rush · cap · bay

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. squash — the sport
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bass — low music
  24. cap — a hat

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