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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · lie · spell · suit · mine · degree

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — temperature
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spell — letters
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. spell — a short time
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spell — magic
  16. track — a song
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — clothes

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