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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: rash · wind · stem · court · saw · band · suit · bay

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rash — a series
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. court — for sport
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. court — of a king
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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