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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 120 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mark — a trace
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spell — letters
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chest — a box
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. degree — from a university
  17. drill — army training
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — the tool
  24. trunk — of a car

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