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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. degree — temperature
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. degree — an amount
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. degree — from a university
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mark — a grade
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — before a funeral

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