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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 116 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: degree · tear · safe · rest · straw · bat · root · mark

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rest — a break
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. degree — from a university
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — of a word
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. safe — out of danger

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