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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. degree — temperature
  4. staff — employees
  5. degree — an amount
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. present — there
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — a gift
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. staff — employees
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — out of danger

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