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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 116 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — of water
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — happening now
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mate — a partner
  17. face — to confront
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pit — in a race
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. degree — temperature

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