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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. degree — temperature
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — all right
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. kid — child
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. kid — to tease
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — to drill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. degree — from a university
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bore — gave birth

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