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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: bound · bay · toast · wave · deal · cold · cell · plane

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bound — certain
  5. toast — bread
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cell — in biology
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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