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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. degree — temperature
  4. tear — to rip
  5. swing — in golf
  6. degree — an amount
  7. capital — money
  8. branch — a division
  9. swing — music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mug — to rob
  16. capital — a city
  17. mug — a cup
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mate — a friend
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mug — a face
  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