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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: root · cell · track · wave · jam · bay · cold · hand

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hand — help
  10. track — a path
  11. hand — in cards
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. track — a song
  21. cold — an illness
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cold — not warm
  24. root — of a word

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