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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. staff — employees
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — temperature
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lean — thin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. track — to keep track
  13. staff — employees
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. track — a path
  16. dip — to sink
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. track — a song
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lean — to bend
  24. staff — a stick

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