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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: saw · bass · degree · dip · bound · deal · suit · wave

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bass — low music
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bound — certain
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. degree — an amount
  9. dip — to sink
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — tied together
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. dip — to dunk

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