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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. scale — in music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. scale — size or range
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. sharp — clever
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. degree — an amount
  16. season — of the year
  17. degree — from a university
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. degree — temperature
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rush — hurry
  23. season — in sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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