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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a song
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. track — a path
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. track — to keep track
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lie — to recline

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