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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. degree — from a university
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. cell — a phone
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. degree — an amount
  9. squash — the sport
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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