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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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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: leaves · stand · fall · nail · degree · pit · spell · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fall — to drop
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spell — letters
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spell — magic
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. pit — in a race
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bay — a horse colour

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