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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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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 · bay · lie · firm · dip · can · pass · band

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. band — a ring
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lie — to recline
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. firm — steady
  15. degree — from a university
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pass — a permit
  23. band — a music group
  24. degree — an amount

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