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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — to go on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mark — a trace
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. last — finally

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