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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 120 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 water is too ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cold — not warm
  3. degree — temperature
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. foot — a measure
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wax — to grow

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