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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. degree — from a university
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mate — a friend
  6. degree — temperature
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a path
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bear — the animal

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