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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.

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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. suit — clothes
  8. charge — a price
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rush — hurry
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wind — moving air
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. degree — from a university
  18. charge — in control
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mark — a grade
  22. charge — electricity
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. suit — 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