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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. degree — from a university
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lie — to recline

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