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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
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: season · nail · date · chest · lie · key · leaves · degree

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. key — the most important part
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chest — a box
  8. key — for a lock
  9. degree — temperature
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. degree — from a university
  19. date — the fruit
  20. degree — an amount
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. key — in music

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