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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. degree — temperature
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rule — a law
  5. bore — to drill
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. degree — from a university
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — government
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — to tire
  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