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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
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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 · dip · jam · degree · fan · drill · mouse · arm

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — from a university
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — temperature
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. drill — a practice
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. drill — army training
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. jam — a tight spot

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