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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — an amount
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wake — a trail
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. season — in sport

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