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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. mug — a face
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. suit — clothes
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lean — to bend
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lean — thin
  9. rash — a series
  10. shower — rain
  11. suit — in cards
  12. degree — an amount
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stand — to bear
  20. degree — from a university
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mug — a cup
  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