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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. degree — temperature
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. current — of water
  7. last — final
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — electric
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stand — to bear
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. last — to go on
  15. snap — to click
  16. tear — from crying
  17. last — finally
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tear — to rip

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