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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: hide · degree · lean · fine · mark · rush · cabinet · jam

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rush — hurry

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