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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — from a university
  9. can — to be able to
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. band — a music group
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. degree — temperature
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. band — a ring
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. degree — an amount

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