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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. degree — temperature
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. season — of the year
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — in sport
  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