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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 116 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: mouse · bass · craft · mate · file · wound · cap · bulb

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mate — to breed
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. file — a tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — boats
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. file — a document
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bass — low music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bass — the fish

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