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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. degree — from a university
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fall — the season
  7. degree — an amount
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — government
  11. degree — temperature
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — low music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. staff — employees
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rule — a law
  24. lie — an untruth

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