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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 all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wound — an injury
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. firm — a company
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. firm — decided
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rest — a break
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — steady

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