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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. suit — in cards
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rest — a break
  5. club — for golf
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fall — the season
  9. stand — to bear
  10. club — a group
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — child
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rest — what's left
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — to tease
  23. degree — from a university
  24. club — for dancing

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