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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. degree — an amount
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. degree — from a university
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ground — crushed
  13. row — to paddle
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. row — a line
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ground — a position
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lean — thin
  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