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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. degree — an amount
  11. firm — decided
  12. game — a match
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. squash — the sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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