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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chest — of your body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. chest — of your body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chest — a box

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