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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 116 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: suit · deal · lie · mug · current · fall · degree · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. degree — an amount
  5. current — happening now
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — temperature
  8. deal — to handle
  9. current — of water
  10. mug — a cup
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mug — a face
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — electric
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. degree — from a university

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