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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a ring
  12. lie — to recline
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — crushed
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. band — a music group
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. degree — an amount
  19. kick — in football
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — a position
  24. degree — temperature

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