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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — of water
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — a partner
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — to get on
  12. degree — from a university
  13. current — electric
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bound — obliged
  17. saw — the tool
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bound — certain
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — a permit
  23. board — a committee
  24. pass — to succeed

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