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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bound — certain
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. race — a contest
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bound — tied together
  9. race — humankind
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bound — obliged
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. degree — temperature
  15. saw — the tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tear — from crying
  19. degree — from a university
  20. tear — from crying
  21. roll — a list
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. tear — to rip
  24. saw — the tool

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