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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fine — all right
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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