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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. snap — to click
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pass — a permit
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rock — a stone
  11. degree — temperature
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rock — music

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