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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. key — in music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. land — a country
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. key — for a lock
  14. land — to come down
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — ground
  17. face — to confront
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rush — hurry
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bark — to shout
  24. degree — an amount

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