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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — after costs
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — a grade
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rash — a series
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mark — a trace

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