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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: bowl · tube · degree · hide · present · lash · cabinet · prune

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. tube — a container
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. degree — from a university
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. present — there
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. prune — to trim
  23. degree — an amount
  24. present — the time now

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