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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: spell · content · wake · fine · date · mug · degree · hide

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — all right
  5. date — the fruit
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mug — a face
  8. spell — letters
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — from a university
  13. spell — a short time
  14. content — happy
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — the amount
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spell — magic
  23. wake — a trail
  24. degree — an amount

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