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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. net — for catching
  6. toast — bread
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mug — a cup
  9. net — in sport
  10. clip — a video
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mug — to rob
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. degree — an amount
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. degree — from a university
  20. net — after costs
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. degree — temperature
  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