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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a cup
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mug — a face
  8. court — for sport
  9. lie — to recline
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. court — of a king
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — a country
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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