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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. race — a contest
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chest — of your body
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. degree — an amount
  20. race — humankind
  21. chest — a box
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  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