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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cell — in biology
  3. deal — to handle
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. degree — temperature
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — a division
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. can — a tin
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. branch — of a bank

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