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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — temperature
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — the month
  16. suit — in cards
  17. degree — an amount
  18. suit — clothes
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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