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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — temperature
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. object — an aim
  9. march — the month
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rest — what's left
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — a thing
  20. rest — a break
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. degree — an amount

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