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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 116 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: wound · track · bay · cell · fall · row · ball · suit

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ball — a great time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cell — a phone
  11. row — a line
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a dance
  14. track — a song
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. track — a path
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fall — the season
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ball — a round shape

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