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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — a coil
  8. lie — to recline
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. degree — from a university
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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