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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. degree — temperature
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — final
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. last — to go on
  14. degree — an amount
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. kid — child
  18. last — finally
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. degree — from a university
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bowl — to roll

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