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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. degree — from a university
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ball — a great time
  14. degree — an amount
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. shower — rain
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — employees
  24. ball — a round shape

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