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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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. pound — a weight
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mate — a friend
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. firm — steady
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mate — a partner
  17. firm — a company
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kick — in football
  22. firm — decided
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. sharp — clever

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