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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 124 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. current — electric
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — happening now
  12. mug — a face
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. key — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. current — of water

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