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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: lie · degree · prune · object · last · ball · bay · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — final
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. last — finally
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. degree — temperature
  17. last — to go on
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — a thing
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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