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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. present — a gift
  4. dip — to sink
  5. degree — temperature
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. key — in music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. key — the most important part
  10. squash — the sport
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. suit — in cards
  14. degree — from a university
  15. squash — to crush
  16. degree — an amount
  17. present — the time now
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. present — there
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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