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

Word bank: safe · arm · fan · mate · straw · degree · board · wave

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mate — to breed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. board — a committee
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mate — a partner
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. degree — from a university
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mate — a friend
  18. board — to get on
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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