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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 124 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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. stem — of a plant
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. degree — temperature
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. row — a line
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — a measure
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ruler — for measuring

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