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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: wave · foot · degree · object · straw · rock · rush · fine

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fine — all right
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. degree — from a university
  15. object — a thing
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rock — music
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. foot — the bottom

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