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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. degree — temperature
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. can — to be able to
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — a break
  15. wake — a trail
  16. squash — the sport
  17. degree — from a university
  18. can — a tin
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rest — what's left

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