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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 116 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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. court — of law
  6. drill — the tool
  7. court — of a king
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. drill — a practice
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. board — to get on
  17. drill — army training
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. degree — from a university
  21. board — a committee
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. degree — an amount

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