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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 120 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: wind · arm · field · bay · cell · cap · stick · bore

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. field — farmland
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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