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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kick — in football
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. shower — to wash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — rain
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stand — to bear
  22. date — the fruit
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ball — a dance

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