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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. object — an aim
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. degree — temperature
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. object — to protest
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. key — in music
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cell — a phone
  24. degree — an amount

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