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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: lie · roll · last · degree · fall · lean · dip · mark

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. last — to go on
  4. degree — temperature
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lean — to bend
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lean — thin
  21. roll — a list
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. last — finally

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