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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. band — a ring
  3. mate — a partner
  4. current — electric
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — of water
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mark — a grade
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. content — the amount
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mate — a friend
  22. current — happening now
  23. content — happy
  24. pass — to spend time

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