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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — to sink
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wake — a trail
  7. degree — an amount
  8. net — in sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. net — after costs
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — clever
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — for catching
  22. rest — a break
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. degree — temperature

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