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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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