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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · bass · sharp · cap · lean · lie · degree · cabinet

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bass — the fish
  11. degree — an amount
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lean — thin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. degree — temperature
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. degree — from a university
  23. net — in sport
  24. bass — low music

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