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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: scale · cap · snap · wind · staff · cell · mate · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. staff — employees
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wind — moving air
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. snap — to click
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cap — of ice
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a partner
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. scale — in music
  20. staff — employees
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mate — to breed
  23. staff — a stick
  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