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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rest — what's left
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mate — a friend
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rest — what's left
  11. key — the most important part
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rest — a break
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. key — in music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cap — a lid
  23. degree — from a university
  24. temple — side of the head

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