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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — newspapers
  7. degree — an amount
  8. drill — army training
  9. degree — from a university
  10. snap — to click
  11. kid — child
  12. degree — temperature
  13. drill — the tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. march — music
  19. kid — to tease
  20. press — to push
  21. march — the month
  22. drill — a practice
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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