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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pass — a permit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bulb — for light
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — to go on
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. last — final
  23. wake — a trail
  24. last — finally

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