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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — of a word
  10. fall — to drop
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fall — the season
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cap — of ice
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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