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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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468
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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. degree — an amount
  6. key — in music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. key — the most important part
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. dip — to sink
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. march — music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mine — for digging

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