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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. object — an aim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. object — to protest
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — in football
  14. object — a thing
  15. hand — help
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. nail — on a finger

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