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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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. trunk — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. degree — temperature
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. press — a publisher
  13. face — to confront
  14. degree — an amount
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. press — newspapers
  17. degree — from a university
  18. deal — to handle
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. press — to push
  24. face — to point toward

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