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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. suit — in cards
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rock — music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. degree — an amount
  24. sharp — clever

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