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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lean — thin
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — the cause
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tube — a container
  16. degree — an amount
  17. root — of a word
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — an untruth

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