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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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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 · mark · roll · key · lie · degree · tear · nail

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rest — a break
  3. tear — from crying
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mark — a trace
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. degree — an amount
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lie — to recline
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — in music
  16. degree — temperature
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mark — a grade
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mark — to pay attention

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