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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: wave · season · face · degree · chip · lean · dip · mug

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. degree — an amount
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. season — in sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mug — to rob
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mug — a face
  19. chip — to eat
  20. dip — to sink
  21. season — of the year
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lean — thin
  24. face — to point toward

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