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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. degree — temperature
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. degree — an amount
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. degree — from a university
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — for golf
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — a division

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