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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. degree — from a university
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. game — a match
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. game — wild animals
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — thin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. degree — an amount
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. date — on the calendar

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