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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.

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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fine — all right
  3. mug — a face
  4. object — an aim
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — a stone
  7. object — to protest
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lean — thin
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — from a university
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rock — music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — a thing
  19. degree — an amount
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lean — to bend

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