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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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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: wave · cue · bay · mine · nail · cell · leaves · bore

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — a hint
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cell — a phone
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cell — in biology
  24. nail — for a hammer

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