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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: cabinet · degree · squash · bass · mouse · face · mark · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bass — low music
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. degree — an amount
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — a trace
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bass — the fish

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