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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. degree — an amount
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — a permit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. degree — temperature
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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