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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 116 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mug — a face
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mug — a cup
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lean — thin
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. race — the arms race
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. race — a contest
  18. wake — a trail
  19. race — humankind
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spell — letters
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spell — magic
  24. coach — a trainer

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