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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: firm · bay · chair · kid · bound · temple · wave · degree

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. firm — steady
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kid — child
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chair — a leader

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