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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — a cup
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stem — to come from
  7. key — in music
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. degree — from a university
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mug — a face
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lie — to recline

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