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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fork — to eat with

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