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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: bay · plane · cell · content · last · press · calf · tube

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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. last — final
  3. cell — a phone
  4. press — to push
  5. last — to go on
  6. press — a publisher
  7. last — finally
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. press — newspapers
  18. content — the amount
  19. tube — a container
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — happy
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cell — in biology

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