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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. degree — from a university
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. bass — the fish
  12. season — in sport
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bass — low music
  19. season — of the year
  20. degree — an amount
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. temple — a place of worship

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