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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: squash · wave · deal · roll · wake · bay · kid · cell

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kid — child
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kid — to tease
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cell — a phone
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. squash — the sport
  18. roll — a cake
  19. deal — to handle
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cell — in biology
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. roll — a list

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