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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: degree · current · saw · bay · lie · pass · kid · pop

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. kid — to tease
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — an amount
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pop — music
  10. current — of water
  11. pop — soda
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kid — child
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. degree — from a university
  17. current — electric
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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