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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.

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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: rock · cap · band · wind · mug · wave · bay · club

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mug — a cup
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. band — a music group
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rock — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — a stone
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mug — a face
  16. cap — of ice
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cap — a lid
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. band — a ring

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