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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. march — the month
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. court — of law
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. court — of a king
  16. degree — an amount
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — for sport
  24. march — music

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