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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. net — for catching
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — a container
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. net — after costs
  20. fine — high quality
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bowl — to roll
  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