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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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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: deal · can · degree · mate · cabinet · present · foot · snap

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. foot — a measure
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — the time now
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mate — a partner
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mate — to breed
  19. degree — temperature
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. present — there
  22. mate — a friend
  23. present — a gift
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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