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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. degree — temperature
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — obliged
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — certain
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bank — for money
  19. date — the fruit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — a hat
  24. coach — a trainer

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