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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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. dip — to sink
  3. wound — an injury
  4. land — a country
  5. plane — a tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. degree — an amount
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. land — to come down
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. craft — boats
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wound — an injury
  22. land — ground
  23. degree — temperature
  24. dip — to dunk

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