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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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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: dip · lie · bulb · firm · degree · arm · field · lean

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. firm — steady
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. firm — decided
  7. field — for sport
  8. lean — thin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — a subject
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lie — to recline
  14. field — farmland
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. degree — from a university
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. firm — a company
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bulb — for light

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