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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pound — a weight
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — a box
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wave — of the sea

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