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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. drill — a practice
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — a trail
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. degree — temperature
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — to handle
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stock — shares
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — goods
  22. degree — an amount
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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