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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a committee
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. degree — an amount
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. board — to get on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bass — the fish
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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