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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: degree · cabinet · row · rock · temple · net · wave · dip

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a line
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. degree — an amount
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rock — music
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — in sport
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. row — a quarrel

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