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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. degree — an amount
  8. current — happening now
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. current — of water
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. can — to be able to
  22. sharp — clever
  23. current — electric
  24. lash — an eyelash

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