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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 120 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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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 · bowl · mine · snap · bay · degree · wound · stick

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. degree — an amount
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wound — an injury
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to click
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mine — for digging
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bowl — a football final
  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