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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chip — for betting
  8. firm — steady
  9. cold — not warm
  10. firm — decided
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cold — an illness
  20. degree — from a university
  21. firm — a company
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — temperature

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