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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. degree — from a university
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — rain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. roll — a list
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. roll — a cake
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — to recline
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bound — tied together

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