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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — obliged
  7. degree — an amount
  8. current — electric
  9. ball — a dance
  10. file — a document
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lie — to recline
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bound — certain
  16. file — a tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. current — happening now
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. current — of water
  24. file — a line of people

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