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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. degree — an amount
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. staff — a stick
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. tube — a container
  14. staff — employees
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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