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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spell — letters
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — from a university
  12. spell — magic
  13. club — a group
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mate — to breed
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. spell — a short time
  23. degree — temperature
  24. nail — for a hammer

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