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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rest — a break
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hand — help
  11. roll — a list
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — the animal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — an amount
  24. roll — a cake

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