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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spring — of water
  9. object — a thing
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chest — of your body
  12. face — to confront
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mug — a face
  16. object — to protest
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chest — a box
  19. object — an aim
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. degree — an amount
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spring — the season

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