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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. clip — to cut
  3. squash — the sport
  4. clip — for paper
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rest — a break
  7. squash — to crush
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rest — what's left
  10. board — a committee
  11. can — to be able to
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — an amount
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — a video
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. board — to get on
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. sharp — with an edge

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