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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. degree — temperature
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. roll — a list
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. current — electric
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — for a lock
  21. shower — rain
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. degree — an amount
  24. snap — to click

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