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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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. current — electric
  4. charge — a price
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ball — a dance
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. current — happening now
  13. degree — from a university
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. charge — in control
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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