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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 120 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: cue · last · degree · bat · bear · hide · rush · deal

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cue — for pool
  4. last — final
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. degree — from a university
  7. last — to go on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. degree — temperature
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. last — finally
  24. deal — to handle

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