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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. cap — of ice
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cap — a lid
  5. degree — temperature
  6. current — happening now
  7. degree — from a university
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wake — a trail
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mug — a cup
  16. current — electric
  17. pass — a permit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a face
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mug — to rob
  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