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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · spell · foot · fan · lean · bay · nail · degree

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. degree — an amount
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. degree — from a university
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. spell — a short time
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — thin
  12. foot — a measure
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spell — letters
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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