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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
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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: degree · jam · dip · hide · bat · wind · cabinet · calf

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wind — moving air
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. degree — an amount
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. degree — temperature
  23. jam — in traffic
  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