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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. deal — to handle
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. snap — to click
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wind — moving air
  24. temple — a place of worship

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