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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. firm — decided
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lie — to recline
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. degree — an amount
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  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