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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. capital — a city
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bound — tied together
  17. degree — temperature
  18. kid — child
  19. capital — money
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bound — certain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. degree — from a university
  24. kid — to tease

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