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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · lie · land · date · nail · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. degree — temperature
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — to come down
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — ground
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. lie — to recline
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. land — a country
  16. degree — an amount
  17. date — the fruit
  18. degree — from a university

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