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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tear — to rip
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. dip — to sink
  12. degree — an amount
  13. firm — steady
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. degree — temperature
  16. firm — decided
  17. rock — music
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — a company
  21. tear — from crying
  22. capital — a city
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. arm — a part of something

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