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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. race — a contest
  9. tube — the underground
  10. degree — temperature
  11. race — the arms race
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. race — humankind
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bank — for money
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tube — a container
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — army training

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