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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
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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 · wake · jam · track · lean · squash · tear · bass

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bass — low music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tear — to rip
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tear — from crying
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lean — thin

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