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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — a series
  20. prune — to trim
  21. shower — rain
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hide — to keep secret

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