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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. prune — to trim
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lean — thin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  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