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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. firm — a company
  3. degree — temperature
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cell — in biology
  6. firm — steady
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mug — a face
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. plane — a tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. firm — decided
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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