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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. spell — a short time
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — obliged
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bound — certain
  8. spell — magic
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. date — the fruit
  14. degree — temperature
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bound — tied together
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spell — letters

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