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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. track — a path
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wake — a trail
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. board — a committee
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. clip — to cut
  10. board — to get on
  11. clip — a video
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. track — a song

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