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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: wind · bowl · net · coach · roll · bay · cell · nail

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. net — after costs
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. roll — a list
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. net — for catching
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. net — in sport
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cell — in biology
  24. roll — a cake

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