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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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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bound — certain
  6. branch — a division
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. toast — bread
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bass — low music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — an injury
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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