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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · bass · fan · cell · last · foot · nail · leaves

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. last — to go on
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. last — final
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cell — a phone
  17. last — finally
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — low music

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