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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. suit — clothes
  5. degree — temperature
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. current — of water
  11. suit — in cards
  12. current — happening now
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. current — electric
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lie — an untruth

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