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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mine — for digging
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rush — hurry
  20. drill — army training
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bay — a horse colour

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