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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — high quality
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. degree — from a university
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. degree — an amount
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fine — all right
  23. rest — a break
  24. straw — dry grass

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