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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. last — final
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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