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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — an amount
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. charge — a price
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. dip — to sink
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. charge — in control
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rest — a break
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pound — a weight

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