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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. degree — temperature
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. drill — army training
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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