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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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Word bank
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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. drill — army training
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to sink
  15. degree — an amount
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rest — a break
  24. date — the fruit

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