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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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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: ball · spring · sharp · degree · safe · mate · straw · mug

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mug — to rob
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mug — a face
  8. ball — a great time
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mate — a partner
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mate — a friend
  14. spring — a coil
  15. degree — from a university
  16. spring — the season
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ball — a dance
  19. degree — an amount
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mug — a cup
  22. spring — of water
  23. mate — to breed
  24. degree — temperature

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