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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. foot — a measure
  6. march — the month
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. degree — an amount
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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