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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: degree · stick · saw · mouse · squash · present · lie · sharp

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. degree — an amount
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. squash — the sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — the vegetable

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