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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · lie · foot · wave · degree · deal

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. degree — temperature
  6. foot — a measure
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lie — to recline
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea

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