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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. staff — employees
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. saw — the tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. cell — a phone
  8. fall — the season
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. staff — employees
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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