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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. degree — temperature
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. degree — an amount
  8. tear — from crying
  9. key — for a lock
  10. foot — a measure
  11. key — in music
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bat — the animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bat — in an idiom

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