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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cue — for pool
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — magic
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. degree — temperature
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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