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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — letters
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — to trim
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. prune — to trim

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