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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. net — for catching
  7. degree — temperature
  8. drill — army training
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. degree — an amount
  19. saw — the tool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. coach — a trainer

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