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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: board · field · hide · snap · mouse · sharp · cabinet · degree

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — to get on
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. degree — temperature
  8. field — for sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to click
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. degree — from a university
  18. board — a committee
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. field — a subject
  24. sharp — exactly

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