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

Word bank: stick · bowl · stand · wind · rash · degree · lie · temple

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — to bear
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — hasty
  14. degree — temperature
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. degree — an amount

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