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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: club · key · hide · bear · leaves · degree · rush · lie

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lie — to recline
  7. degree — from a university
  8. club — for golf
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — an amount
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — a group
  15. degree — temperature
  16. key — in music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. leaves — to go away
  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