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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.

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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: cabinet · rush · firm · bowl · row · lean · sharp · degree

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. firm — a company
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. degree — an amount
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rush — hurry
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — thin
  18. row — a line
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. degree — temperature

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