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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · wave · patient · tear · degree · bay

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — newspapers
  8. degree — from a university
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. degree — an amount
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — to push
  18. tear — to rip

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