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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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. clip — a video
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — a grade
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. clip — for paper
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. face — part of the head
  19. clip — to cut
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to confront

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