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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bound — obliged
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. degree — an amount
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bound — certain
  12. degree — temperature
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lie — to recline
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bound — tied together
  24. foot — a measure

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