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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. game — a match
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. game — wild animals
  11. degree — from a university
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. drill — army training
  14. rock — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rock — a stone
  22. degree — an amount
  23. drill — a practice
  24. dip — a sauce

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