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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.

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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: mate · degree · dip · bulb · saw · object · squash · rock

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bulb — for light
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — a stone
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rock — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bulb — for light
  20. degree — temperature
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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