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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. degree — from a university
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. scale — size or range
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. scale — in music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ruler — for measuring

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