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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: wave · prune · degree · mark · spring · bowl · spell · safe

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spell — letters
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. spell — magic
  7. degree — from a university
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mark — a grade
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spell — a short time
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wave — of the sea

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