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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: firm · spell · bore · degree · mate · wave · club · march

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. march — the month
  3. spell — letters
  4. club — for golf
  5. degree — an amount
  6. spell — magic
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — to tire
  9. firm — a company
  10. club — a group
  11. firm — steady
  12. march — music
  13. mate — a partner
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mate — a friend
  21. firm — decided
  22. degree — from a university
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bore — to drill

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