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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bass — the fish
  4. key — in music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. bass — low music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — from a university
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. object — a thing
  20. degree — temperature
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — thin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — of ice

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