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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · squash · staff · bound · arm · bay · season · cold

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cold — an illness
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. staff — employees
  11. season — of the year
  12. staff — a stick
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. season — in sport
  15. bound — obliged
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bound — tied together
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bound — certain
  24. leaves — of a tree

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