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

Word bank: mug · temple · swing · degree · stick · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — in golf
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mug — a cup
  13. swing — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tear — to rip
  17. degree — from a university
  18. swing — to play on

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