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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spring — the season
  12. game — a match
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. spring — a coil
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — of water
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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