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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: cap · wave · degree · swing · rule · lie

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rule — government
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. swing — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rule — a law
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — in golf

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