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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: row · bay · squash · cell · court · mate · firm · lie

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cell — in biology
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — to paddle
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. cell — a phone
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mate — a partner
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. row — a line

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