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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. row — to paddle
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. degree — from a university
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bound — certain
  11. degree — an amount
  12. row — a line
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — to sink
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. degree — temperature

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