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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.

Make a worksheet

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: season · wave · spell · wake · degree · straw · patient · key

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spell — letters
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. degree — temperature
  7. key — for a lock
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. season — of the year
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. spell — magic
  20. degree — from a university
  21. season — in sport
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. degree — an amount

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