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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bear — the animal
  3. object — a thing
  4. suit — clothes
  5. snap — to click
  6. rash — hasty
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. object — an aim
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — to cut
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. clip — a video
  19. suit — to fit
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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