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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: leaves · degree · mouse · drill · game · wave · sharp · net

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. degree — an amount
  8. game — a match
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. net — for catching
  12. degree — temperature
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. degree — from a university
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — in sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — with an edge

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