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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. degree — temperature
  3. squash — to crush
  4. can — to be able to
  5. degree — from a university
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. file — a document
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. squash — the sport
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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