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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: degree · craft · hide · dip · bass · rush · toast · bore

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. toast — bread
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bore — to tire
  18. degree — from a university
  19. craft — boats
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. degree — an amount
  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