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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: bass · arm · can · band · drill · cell · nail · mate

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cell — in biology
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a ring
  11. mate — a friend
  12. drill — a practice
  13. band — a music group
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. drill — army training
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — low music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bass — the fish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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