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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rock — music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a match
  18. pass — a permit

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