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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lean — thin
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. deal — to handle
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — temperature
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. object — to protest
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. row — to paddle
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. row — a line

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