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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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Word bank
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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 · staff · wave · rock · bay · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. staff — employees
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fall — the season
  18. rock — music

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