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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. degree — from a university
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. snap — to click
  7. mark — a trace
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fine — all right
  13. spell — letters
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spell — magic
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mark — a grade
  24. degree — temperature

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