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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 116 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a ring
  4. file — a document
  5. current — happening now
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. current — of water
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. snap — to click
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. current — electric
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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