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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.

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: fine · stand · pound · rush · jam · wave · degree · straw

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fine — all right
  3. degree — an amount
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — a weight
  8. degree — temperature
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rush — hurry
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stand — to bear

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