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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. snap — to click
  13. pop — to visit
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bear — the animal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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