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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mark — a grade
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. sharp — clever
  19. degree — from a university
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. safe — a strongbox

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