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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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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: rest · degree · last · lie · racket · mark · file · firm

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. last — to go on
  4. firm — steady
  5. rest — what's left
  6. firm — decided
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a document
  10. mark — a trace
  11. last — finally
  12. degree — an amount
  13. firm — a company
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. degree — temperature
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rest — what's left
  20. degree — from a university
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. file — a tool
  24. last — final

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