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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: mug · mine · mouse · season · leaves · degree · cell · key

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. key — for a lock
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mine — for digging
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mug — a face
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cell — in biology
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. degree — from a university
  20. key — in music
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mouse — for a computer

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