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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rest — a break
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. content — the amount
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rest — what's left
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — to be able to
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — music
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. content — happy
  24. rock — a stone

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