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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. scale — size or range
  5. degree — from a university
  6. club — for golf
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — a group
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lie — to recline
  18. club — for dancing
  19. season — in sport
  20. degree — an amount
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. scale — in music

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