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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: kick · stick · leaves · degree · deal · scale · straw · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. degree — from a university
  5. scale — in music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — size or range
  11. degree — an amount
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. kick — in football
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. deal — to handle
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. deal — an agreement

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