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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: dip · arm · patient · cell · last · bowl · bay · game

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cell — in biology
  6. last — final
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. last — finally
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. last — to go on
  13. game — a match
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cell — a phone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. arm — a part of something

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