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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. degree — temperature
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. foot — a measure
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — a short time
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. degree — an amount
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spell — magic

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