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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. degree — temperature
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — a cup
  6. squash — the sport
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — an amount
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. degree — from a university
  14. tube — a container
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tube — the underground
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tube — in a tire

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