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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. branch — a division
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. degree — from a university
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. degree — an amount
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — for a hammer

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