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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wound — an injury
  7. staff — a stick
  8. degree — temperature
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lean — thin
  11. staff — employees
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mug — to rob
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lean — to bend
  17. roll — a list
  18. staff — employees
  19. pop — music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — a face
  24. roll — on a roll

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