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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · cold · patient · degree · ruler · craft · dip · sharp

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. tube — the underground
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tube — a container
  9. craft — boats
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — to sink
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. degree — from a university
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. degree — an amount
  24. dip — a sauce

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