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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — employees
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. staff — a stick
  12. degree — from a university
  13. face — to confront
  14. mate — to breed
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mate — a friend
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — part of the head
  19. spring — the season
  20. face — to point toward
  21. spring — of water
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mug — a face

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