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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. capital — money
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. degree — an amount
  7. face — to point toward
  8. capital — a city
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — to sink
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. face — to confront
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. hide — to keep secret

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