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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. firm — steady
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wound — an injury
  5. degree — an amount
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. degree — temperature
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — low music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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