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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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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: racket · fall · drill · arm · degree · dip · snap · cabinet

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — the tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. drill — a practice
  11. degree — from a university
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fall — the season
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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