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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bound — obliged
  8. press — newspapers
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bound — certain
  23. press — to push
  24. bound — tied together

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