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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: rock · lean · hand · wave · degree · firm · clip · pass

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lean — thin
  3. firm — decided
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pass — a permit
  11. clip — a video
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. firm — steady
  15. clip — to cut
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rock — music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rock — a stone

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