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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stand — to bear
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mate — a partner
  14. degree — temperature
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wake — a trail

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