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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.

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: degree · capital · mug · bear · lie · vault · saw · season

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — a city
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — of the year
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — a cup
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. degree — from a university
  21. season — in sport
  22. mug — a face
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bear — to put up with

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