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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bound — obliged
  4. dip — to sink
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. face — to confront
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mate — a friend
  14. face — part of the head
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  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