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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: degree · dip · rest · pass · trunk · wake · mine · chair

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rest — a break
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wake — a trail
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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