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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mine — an explosive

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