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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: wake · squash · degree · saw · rest · dip · wound · cue

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. wake — a trail
  3. squash — the sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to sink
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cue — a signal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rest — a break
  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