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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cap — a hat
  3. kid — child
  4. firm — steady
  5. cap — a lid
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cap — of ice
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — electric
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. firm — a company
  13. degree — an amount
  14. current — happening now
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. staff — employees
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. firm — decided
  21. kid — to tease
  22. staff — a stick
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bear — the animal

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