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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mark — a trace
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mark — a grade
  14. race — a contest
  15. degree — an amount
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. race — the arms race
  21. snap — to click
  22. degree — from a university
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — a sauce

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