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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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. degree — from a university
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — to drop
  12. land — to come down
  13. tear — from crying
  14. land — a country
  15. fall — the season
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ruler — for measuring

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