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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 · bay · lean · row · ball · drill · tear · bowl

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. row — a line
  10. drill — army training
  11. tear — to rip
  12. lean — thin
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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