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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — to bear
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. degree — from a university
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rest — what's left
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. tear — to rip
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. degree — an amount
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rest — a break
  23. tear — from crying
  24. prune — to trim

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