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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: tear · wake · mug · cabinet · bowl · shower · mark · degree

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — rain
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wake — a trail
  20. degree — from a university
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mug — a face

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