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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fall — the season
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bound — certain
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. degree — an amount
  10. key — in music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — to breed
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. last — finally
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. last — final
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lean — to rest against

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