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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rash — hasty
  8. drill — army training
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. degree — temperature
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chest — a box
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rash — a series
  21. chest — of your body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. degree — an amount

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