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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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. present — the time now
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fine — high quality
  6. present — there
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pitch — completely
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lie — to recline
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. present — a gift
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fine — all right
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lie — an untruth

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