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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. firm — steady
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. firm — a company
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. degree — an amount
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — decided
  17. rest — a break
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. degree — temperature
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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