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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: sharp · mark · toast · dip · spring · wax · degree · rock

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mark — a trace
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. toast — bread
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. spring — a coil
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rock — a stone
  24. spring — of water

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