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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cold — an illness
  11. degree — an amount
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ball — a dance
  14. degree — from a university
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bowl — a dish

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