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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. degree — an amount
  7. dip — to sink
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. roll — a list
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. degree — from a university
  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