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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cap — of ice
  3. degree — an amount
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. degree — from a university
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cap — a lid
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. band — a ring
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. degree — temperature

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