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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. object — to protest
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. degree — from a university
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stem — to come from
  8. object — a thing
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. object — an aim
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. staff — employees
  19. degree — temperature
  20. staff — employees
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. degree — an amount
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stem — of a plant

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