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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ball — a dance
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. file — a document
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. firm — decided
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rock — a stone
  21. firm — steady
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rock — music

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