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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. degree — temperature
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wax — to grow
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lean — to bend
  13. drill — the tool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — goods
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. degree — an amount

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