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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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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wind — moving air
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ball — a dance
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ball — a great time
  15. degree — from a university
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wind — moving air

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