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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. track — a path
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. root — the cause
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. degree — temperature
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rule — a law
  15. degree — from a university
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — of a plant
  18. track — to keep track
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — of a word
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. track — a song

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