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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lean — thin
  7. degree — an amount
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. clip — a video
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. key — in music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. key — the most important part
  23. degree — from a university
  24. clip — to cut

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