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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. band — a music group
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. degree — an amount
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bore — to tire
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bore — to drill
  21. band — a ring
  22. cold — not warm
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. degree — temperature

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