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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lie — to recline
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — clever
  24. degree — temperature

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