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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. root — of a word
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a document
  10. degree — from a university
  11. firm — steady
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a great time
  16. degree — an amount
  17. firm — decided
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. firm — a company
  21. root — the cause
  22. degree — temperature
  23. hand — help
  24. file — a tool

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