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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. file — a document
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. degree — an amount
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. file — a line of people
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. degree — from a university
  21. file — a tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — of the sea

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