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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. drill — army training
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — temperature
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cold — not warm
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. drill — the tool
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. degree — from a university
  20. tube — the underground
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tube — a container
  23. perch — the fish
  24. safe — a strongbox

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