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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — a face
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mug — a cup
  6. key — in music
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bass — the fish
  15. degree — from a university
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wake — a trail
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mug — to rob
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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