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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 120 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ball — a great time
  5. capital — a city
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — thin
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. capital — money
  11. ball — a dance
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stock — shares
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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