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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: firm · dip · mouse · chest · arm · face · degree · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — a company
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chest — of your body
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. face — to confront
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chest — of your body
  19. firm — decided
  20. degree — an amount
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rule — government
  23. chest — a box
  24. firm — steady

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