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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fall — to drop
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fall — the season
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — to drill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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