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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. degree — an amount
  4. roll — a list
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — from a university
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wound — an injury
  12. dip — to sink
  13. degree — temperature
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — music
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rock — a stone
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bulb — for light
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rock — to move gently

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