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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
468
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: hide · fan · degree · sharp · fall · content · bear · nail

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. content — the amount
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — to drop
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fall — the season
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bear — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hide — to keep secret

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