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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. branch — a division
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spell — letters
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spring — the season
  13. degree — from a university
  14. spell — a short time
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. spring — of water
  18. bark — to shout
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. toast — bread
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — of a tree

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