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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: season · row · can · chip · bay · cell · key · temple

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. key — the most important part
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. row — a line
  23. can — to be able to
  24. season — in sport

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