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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — a hole
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — to confront
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. sharp — clever
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pit — in a race
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. degree — an amount
  24. can — to be able to

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