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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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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 · temple · plane · degree · kick · pitch · mug · rock

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — a face
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — in football
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mug — a cup
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitch — completely
  23. temple — side of the head
  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