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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — to recline
  8. degree — temperature
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. object — to protest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — a thing
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. object — an aim

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