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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bat — the animal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fine — all right
  12. mug — a face
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — of water
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spring — the season
  23. lie — to recline
  24. nail — for a hammer

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