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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. suit — to fit
  4. present — the time now
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — clever
  8. court — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — to wash
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. present — a gift
  16. degree — an amount
  17. suit — in cards
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. court — of a king
  22. present — there
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. court — of law

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