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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — a video
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — to fit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. degree — an amount
  11. suit — in cards
  12. degree — from a university
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. suit — clothes
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. clip — to cut
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lie — to recline
  24. safe — out of danger

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