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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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. wound — an injury
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rest — a break
  6. wound — an injury
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. foot — a measure
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stock — goods
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rest — what's left
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — shares
  24. cabinet — ministers

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