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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — temperature
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. field — farmland
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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