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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. staff — a stick
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to click
  13. degree — an amount
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a lid
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cap — a hat
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — employees
  24. chest — a box

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