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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 120 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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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: pit · bound · lie · leaves · last · pass · vault · degree

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. last — finally
  6. pit — a hole
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — in a race
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lie — to recline
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pass — a permit

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