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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. degree — an amount
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — help
  14. degree — from a university
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — in cards
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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