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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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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: spell · dip · last · degree · mate · bore · cue · wake

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. degree — temperature
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bore — to tire
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spell — magic
  10. last — final
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. last — to go on
  16. mate — a friend
  17. degree — an amount
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spell — letters
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — a hint
  22. last — finally
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mate — a partner

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