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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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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: cabinet · chip · wave · stick · prune · pass · spell · degree

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. degree — an amount
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. spell — magic
  20. chip — to eat
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — letters

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