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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chest — a box
  4. degree — an amount
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bass — low music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. face — to point toward
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wax — to grow
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fork — in a road
  24. face — to confront

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