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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. staff — employees
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pound — a weight
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rock — music
  14. chest — a box
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. mouse — the animal

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