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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. tear — to rip
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. foot — a measure
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tear — from crying
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — of water
  19. degree — an amount
  20. tear — from crying
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. date — on the calendar

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