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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lie — to recline
  4. drill — a practice
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a music group
  11. drill — army training
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mark — to pay attention

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