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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: cell · drill · band · sharp · bay · root · pound · mug

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. drill — a practice
  3. root — the cause
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cell — a phone
  6. root — of a word
  7. band — a ring
  8. drill — army training
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. band — a music group
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mug — to rob
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mug — a face
  24. pound — a weight

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