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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: cell · wind · foot · bay · drill · firm

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. firm — a company
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cell — in biology
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. firm — decided
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. firm — steady
  18. wind — moving air

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