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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. degree — from a university
  8. firm — steady
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — child
  14. can — to be able to
  15. firm — decided
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — to tease
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fall — the season
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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