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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — temperature
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. sharp — clever
  24. degree — an amount

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