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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: leaves · tear · bay · mouse · degree · snap · mark · mate

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to click
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mate — a friend
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mark — a trace
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tear — from crying
  19. degree — an amount
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mate — to breed
  24. tear — to rip

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