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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stand — to bear
  4. staff — a stick
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. fall — the season
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. degree — an amount
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — employees
  18. fine — all right
  19. present — the time now
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cap — a lid
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — from a university

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