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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fall — the season
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cap — of ice
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. degree — from a university
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cue — a hint

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