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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — a series
  14. pop — to visit
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fall — the season
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pop — soda
  23. toast — bread
  24. pop — music

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