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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: deal · degree · straw · wave · rock · safe · cap · scale

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. scale — size or range
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rock — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. degree — from a university
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — an amount
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. scale — in music
  24. cap — a hat

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