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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: wake · prune · suit · degree · kick · wave · deal · cue

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cue — a hint
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. kick — in football
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. degree — temperature

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