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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — to handle
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. roll — a list
  9. degree — from a university
  10. toast — bread
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bear — the animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. degree — an amount
  19. roll — a cake
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kid — child
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. roll — on a roll

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