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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the fish
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. track — a song
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bass — low music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bowl — a dish

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