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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lean — to bend
  5. net — after costs
  6. wind — moving air
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lean — thin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. degree — from a university
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wind — moving air
  18. degree — an amount
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. net — in sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — the time now

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