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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. degree — temperature
  5. deal — to handle
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. tube — a container
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. degree — an amount
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. degree — from a university
  19. spring — the season
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — a law
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rule — government

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