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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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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mug — a face
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. sharp — clever
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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