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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: degree · stick · spell · pitcher · dip · hide · bulb · staff

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. staff — employees
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. dip — to sink
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. degree — temperature
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spell — letters

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