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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · cue · bear · temple · degree · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. toast — bread
  10. cue — for pool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cue — a signal

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