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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. club — for dancing
  3. present — there
  4. saw — the tool
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. dip — to sink
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — from a university
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. lean — to bend
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. dip — a sauce

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