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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rush — hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. degree — an amount
  6. firm — steady
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. firm — decided
  10. bass — low music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. file — a document
  13. bass — the fish
  14. degree — from a university
  15. file — a line of people
  16. firm — a company
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. file — a tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lie — an untruth

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