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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. row — a line
  6. roll — a cake
  7. row — to paddle
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. roll — a list
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. degree — from a university
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pop — to visit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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