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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: face · sharp · mouse · bowl · dip · wake · degree · object

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. sharp — clever
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. object — a thing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. object — to protest
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. object — an aim
  15. face — to confront
  16. degree — temperature
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. degree — an amount
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mouse — for a computer

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