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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · mug · degree · patient · rock · stick · arm · ground

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mug — a face
  4. saw — the tool
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rock — a stone
  17. degree — temperature
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ground — crushed
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. degree — an amount

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