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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. court — of law
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lie — to recline
  5. current — electric
  6. tube — a container
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — for sport
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. tube — the underground
  13. degree — an amount
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. current — of water
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. current — happening now
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. court — of a king
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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