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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fine — high quality
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fine — all right
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. craft — boats
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wave — of the sea

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