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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: club · degree · safe · nail · rash · rock · bay · lie

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. club — for golf
  3. rash — a series
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rock — a stone
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rash — hasty
  11. degree — an amount
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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