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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lean — thin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lean — to bend
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. degree — an amount
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — from a university
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stock — shares
  20. clip — for paper
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stock — goods
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. clip — a video

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