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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — of water
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. current — happening now
  14. lie — to recline
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — a permit
  18. current — electric
  19. tube — a container
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — an amount
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pass — to spend time

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