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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.

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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — in music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. last — final
  9. mate — to breed
  10. last — finally
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. last — to go on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mate — a friend
  22. degree — from a university
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — in a race

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