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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. drill — the tool
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. drill — army training
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. degree — temperature
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. degree — an amount

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