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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 120 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: sharp · spell · lie · degree · rock · clip · bound · bowl

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — for paper
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rock — music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. spell — letters
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. clip — a video
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spell — magic
  24. degree — temperature

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