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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mug — a face
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mark — a trace
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rash — a series
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chest — a box
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  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