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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. object — an aim
  7. degree — an amount
  8. spell — letters
  9. drill — the tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. drill — army training
  12. roll — a list
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. roll — a cake
  15. object — to protest
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mate — a partner
  19. object — a thing
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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