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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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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: cell · shower · bore · bay · nail · land · trunk · suit

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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 a prison
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. suit — in cards
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cell — a phone
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. shower — rain
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cell — in biology
  18. land — a country
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — to drill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — gave birth
  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