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

Word bank: mouse · leaves · straw · mate · degree · rest · last · firm

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mate — a friend
  3. firm — decided
  4. last — to go on
  5. firm — steady
  6. degree — from a university
  7. last — final
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. last — finally
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rest — a break
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. firm — a company
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. leaves — to go away

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