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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · wave · degree · stock · temple · scale · pass · bass

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pass — a permit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. bass — low music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. scale — in music

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