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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.

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: wave · current · cue · lie · degree · mouse · present · march

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. present — a gift
  4. current — electric
  5. march — the month
  6. present — there
  7. current — happening now
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. march — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. present — the time now
  16. march — the month
  17. degree — an amount
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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