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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: pop · lie · safe · cabinet · bass · ground · degree · fan

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lie — to recline
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — low music
  24. degree — from a university

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