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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 124 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. shower — rain
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. race — humankind
  14. toast — bread
  15. race — a contest
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. degree — an amount
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. race — the arms race

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