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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 120 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 · lean · dip · degree · kid · rush · land · drill

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. degree — an amount
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. drill — a practice
  5. dip — to sink
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. drill — army training
  11. land — ground
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. land — a country
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rush — hurry
  18. land — to come down
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lean — thin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. degree — from a university
  24. kid — child

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