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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. degree — an amount
  5. land — a country
  6. current — electric
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lie — to recline
  9. current — of water
  10. degree — from a university
  11. object — a thing
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — a friend
  15. object — an aim
  16. mate — to breed
  17. land — ground
  18. stem — to come from
  19. file — a document
  20. object — to protest
  21. current — happening now
  22. file — a tool
  23. land — to come down
  24. mate — a partner

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