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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. degree — temperature
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chest — a box
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — to handle
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mate — to breed
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — boats
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. degree — from a university
  22. kick — in football
  23. mark — a trace
  24. deal — a big deal

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