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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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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: fine · mug · rush · arm · rest · saw · lie · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mug — a face
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mug — to rob
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — high quality
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. rush — hurry
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. degree — temperature
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rest — what's left

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