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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: ruler · fall · degree · last · wave · pit · mate · jam

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fall — to drop
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — finally
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. degree — an amount
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. last — to go on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fall — the season
  21. degree — temperature
  22. last — final
  23. mate — a friend
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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