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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — happy
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a hat
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lie — to recline
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. degree — an amount
  19. content — the amount
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rest — a break
  24. cap — a lid

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