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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: safe · cabinet · degree · bound · content · cold · game · plane

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. content — the amount
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cold — not warm
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. degree — an amount
  13. content — happy
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cold — an illness
  20. game — a match
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. degree — from a university
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. plane — in geometry

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