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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. kid — child
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. roll — a list
  10. season — of the year
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. roll — a cake
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — from a university
  23. date — the fruit
  24. season — in sport

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