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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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Word bank
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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. degree — temperature
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — a lid
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — from a university
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. degree — an amount
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. lie — to recline
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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