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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. can — a tin
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lie — to recline
  16. saw — the tool
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. degree — temperature
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. degree — an amount

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