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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. tube — a container
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. file — a tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. deal — to handle
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. file — a document
  18. tube — the underground
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. deal — an agreement

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