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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. key — for a lock
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. race — a contest
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. key — in music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. race — humankind
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — from a university
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. race — the arms race
  24. arm — a part of something

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