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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. roll — a list
  3. degree — temperature
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. season — in sport
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mate — to breed
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. season — of the year
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — the cause
  16. roll — a cake
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. degree — an amount
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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