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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 116 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: last · bear · lie · spell · fine · pop · saw · degree

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pop — music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lie — to recline
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — high quality
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. last — to go on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. last — final
  21. pop — soda
  22. fine — all right
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spell — magic

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