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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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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: bay · mouse · degree · calf · wave · file · last · dip

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. last — final
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. file — a document
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. last — finally
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. degree — from a university
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. last — to go on
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wave — of the sea
  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