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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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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: bound · mine · lie · bay · kick · bowl · cell · row

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — certain
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. row — a line
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cell — in biology
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lie — an untruth

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