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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. object — an aim
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. present — the time now
  6. mate — a partner
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — a gift
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mate — a friend
  11. object — a thing
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. object — to protest
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wind — moving air
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fall — the season
  22. degree — temperature
  23. present — there
  24. coach — a trainer

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