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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. last — finally
  9. degree — from a university
  10. last — to go on
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — an amount
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. net — in sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. last — final
  21. hand — help
  22. lean — to bend
  23. net — for catching
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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