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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. degree — temperature
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — an amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. saw — the tool
  15. content — the amount
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. degree — from a university
  22. content — happy
  23. staff — employees
  24. leaves — lets stay

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