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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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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. land — to come down
  7. lean — thin
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. rash — a series
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. degree — from a university
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lean — to bend
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rash — hasty

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