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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wound — an injury
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mark — a grade
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mug — to rob
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mug — a face
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mark — a trace
  18. row — a line
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. row — to paddle

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