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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. sharp — clever
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rest — a break
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. last — to go on
  10. key — in music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rest — what's left
  13. degree — from a university
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — for a lock
  17. degree — an amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rest — what's left

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