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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — boats
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ball — a great time
  11. shower — rain
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. scale — in music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. craft — a skill
  24. degree — from a university

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