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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. degree — from a university
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rock — music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chest — a box
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. staff — employees
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lean — thin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. staff — employees

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