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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: rush · tear · leaves · bowl · net · lie · degree · wave

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. degree — from a university
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. net — after costs
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. net — in sport
  23. degree — temperature
  24. net — for catching

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