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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. last — to go on
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bound — tied together
  14. content — happy
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. last — finally
  18. bound — obliged
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — final
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. degree — an amount

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