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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 120 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chest — of your body
  3. kick — in football
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. chest — a box
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. degree — an amount
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bulb — for light
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. staff — employees
  22. chest — of your body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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