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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. branch — a division
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — a trace
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. degree — temperature
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bound — certain

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