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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — an amount
  4. snap — to click
  5. degree — temperature
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wound — an injury

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