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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: saw · ruler · kick · bay · season · cell

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kick — in football
  6. season — of the year
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cell — in biology
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — in sport
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kick — with a leg

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