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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. staff — a stick
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mate — to breed
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mate — a friend
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. sharp — clever
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rock — a stone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — from a university
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rock — music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mate — a partner
  24. sharp — with an edge

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