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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. object — to protest
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pop — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. object — a thing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pop — soda
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. degree — from a university
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — rain
  24. bowl — a football final

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