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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: mark · mug · board · patient · leaves · chest · straw · degree

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mug — to rob
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. degree — an amount
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chest — of your body
  10. board — to get on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — a face
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. board — a committee
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mark — a grade
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mug — a cup

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