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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
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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: bay · hand · land · firm · mate · cell · fan · cabinet

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. land — to come down
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — help
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. land — a country
  16. mate — a partner
  17. firm — decided
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. land — ground
  24. hand — part of the body

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