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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mate — a friend
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cue — a signal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spring — of water
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mark — a trace
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — a break
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mark — a grade
  22. degree — an amount
  23. perch — the fish
  24. spring — the season

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