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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. roll — a list
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cap — of ice
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rock — a stone
  24. degree — from a university

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