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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · bay · cell · net · last · can · date · rash

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. last — to go on
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rash — a series
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. last — final
  8. can — to be able to
  9. net — after costs
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. net — in sport
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cell — in biology
  21. net — for catching
  22. last — finally
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chair — a leader

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