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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: bay · ruler · wave · pound · last · bowl · cell · band

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. band — a music group
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. last — final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — to go on
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pound — a weight
  19. last — finally
  20. band — a ring
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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