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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · saw · bay · stand · cell · mate · band · stick

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a music group
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a ring
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — to bear
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mate — a friend

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