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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mug — to rob
  3. plane — a tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. degree — temperature
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — from crying
  16. degree — from a university
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mug — a face
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — in geometry

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