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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. degree — from a university
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — humankind
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. mine — belonging to me

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