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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mug — a face
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. drill — a practice
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spell — a short time
  8. degree — an amount
  9. drill — army training
  10. spell — magic
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mug — to rob
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mug — a cup
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bat — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. degree — temperature
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. spell — letters
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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