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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. cap — a hat
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. can — a tin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stock — goods
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cap — of ice

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