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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 124 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cue — a signal
  5. toast — bread
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — to sink
  11. degree — temperature
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — music
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. cue — a hint
  21. degree — an amount
  22. snap — to click
  23. rock — a stone
  24. degree — from a university

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