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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. present — there
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cap — a lid
  12. degree — an amount
  13. present — a gift
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cap — of ice
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. degree — from a university
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. craft — boats
  23. foot — a measure
  24. craft — a skill

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