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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · trunk · lie · wave · last · cabinet · game · degree

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lie — to recline
  7. game — a match
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — from a university
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. last — final
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. last — finally
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. last — to go on
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lie — an untruth

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