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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: foot · can · degree · rush · bowl · hide · mine · bass

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bass — the fish
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. degree — from a university
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  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