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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: cabinet · mark · mouse · lie · degree · present · sharp · coach

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. degree — temperature
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mark — a trace
  15. degree — an amount
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. present — a gift
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a grade

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