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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — to grow
  8. track — a song
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. track — a path
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mark — to pay attention

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