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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lie — to recline
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mug — a face
  24. arm — part of the body

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