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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 120 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: cabinet · leaves · prune · cell · mouse · fork · bay · suit

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cell — in biology
  5. suit — in cards
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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