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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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. dip — to dunk
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. field — a subject
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. net — for catching
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. net — after costs
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — for sport
  18. net — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — temperature

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