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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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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 · mate · saw · rock · last · dip · kid · key

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. degree — from a university
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. degree — temperature
  6. last — final
  7. dip — to sink
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kid — to tease
  10. last — finally
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. last — to go on
  21. kid — child
  22. rock — a stone
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. degree — an amount

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