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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mug — a cup
  3. present — a gift
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mate — a partner
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rock — music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wound — an injury
  18. degree — from a university
  19. present — the time now
  20. snap — to click
  21. mug — a face
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. present — there
  24. leaves — lets stay

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