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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: hide · mug · degree · stick · fall · rest · mark · season

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — temperature
  7. season — of the year
  8. fall — the season
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rest — a break
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. rest — what's left

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