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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — for a lock
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cell — a phone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. key — in music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. key — the most important part
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pass — a permit
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cell — in biology

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