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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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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: mug · bay · degree · nail · wind · fine · tear · content

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fine — all right
  5. content — the amount
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — to rob
  10. tear — to rip
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wind — moving air
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mug — a face
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. content — happy

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