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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. drill — army training
  4. hand — in cards
  5. degree — temperature
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — from a university
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. hand — help
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lean — to bend

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