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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cap — a hat
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. face — to point toward

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