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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: bore · degree · content · spell · stick · wave · mark · last

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. last — finally
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bore — to drill
  14. content — happy
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — an amount
  19. last — final
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. content — the amount
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. last — to go on

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