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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 · pass · track · temple · fan · bay · row · key

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cell — a phone
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. track — a song
  9. pass — a permit
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. row — to paddle
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cell — in biology
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — in music
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. track — a path

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