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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.

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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a music group
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. band — a ring
  15. rock — music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cell — a phone
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — the Cold War

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