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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — a tool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. shower — rain
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — to wash

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