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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — a country
  3. firm — decided
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — ground
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. press — newspapers
  15. degree — temperature
  16. press — to push
  17. land — to come down
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — a publisher
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. degree — an amount
  23. dip — to sink
  24. firm — steady

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