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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. degree — an amount
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. degree — from a university
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pop — soda
  14. snap — to click
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ball — a dance
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pop — music
  24. lie — to recline

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