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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. degree — temperature
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. object — a thing
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tear — to rip
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a face
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mine — for digging
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. object — an aim
  19. degree — from a university
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mug — to rob
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tear — from crying
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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