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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. band — a music group
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lean — thin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. object — a thing
  19. fall — the season
  20. track — a song
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. band — a ring
  24. rush — a thrill

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