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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. game — wild animals
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. degree — an amount
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fine — all right
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — a safe
  20. game — a match
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. degree — temperature
  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