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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bass — low music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bass — the fish
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spring — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rest — a break
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lie — to recline
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spring — of water

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