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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fine — all right
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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