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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · clip · rash · degree · lean · cap · straw · mate

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lean — thin
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fine — all right
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rash — a series
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mate — a friend
  21. degree — from a university
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. degree — an amount

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