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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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — for digging
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. degree — temperature
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lean — thin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mine — belonging to me

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