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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. row — to paddle
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. game — a match
  7. mug — a cup
  8. degree — from a university
  9. last — final
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. suit — in cards
  12. degree — an amount
  13. suit — clothes
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. last — to go on
  22. row — a line
  23. last — finally
  24. bay — a horse colour

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