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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 it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. degree — from a university
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — rain
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. object — an aim
  14. degree — an amount
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — a thing
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. object — to protest
  21. last — final
  22. deal — to handle
  23. degree — temperature
  24. shower — to wash

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