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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.

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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spring — the season
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — temperature
  23. spring — of water
  24. degree — from a university

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