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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: leaves · deal · bay · cue · rush · temple · foot · degree

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cue — for pool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rush — hurry
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. foot — a measure
  14. degree — an amount
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. degree — temperature

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