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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 father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. charge — in control
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. charge — a price
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — electricity
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. date — the fruit
  24. degree — temperature

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