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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · tube · bay · mine · bulb · kick · bass · jam

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bass — low music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. tube — a container
  19. mine — for digging
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. kick — in football

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