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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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468
Word bank
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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pass — a permit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. snap — to click
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. degree — from a university
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. file — a document
  14. bass — the fish
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bass — low music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. file — a tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. roll — a cake
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wave — of the sea

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