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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bat — the animal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. can — a tin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fine — all right
  9. can — to be able to
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. degree — an amount
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fine — high quality
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. degree — from a university

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