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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · face · ball · mine · present · degree · capital · temple

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ball — a great time
  6. present — a gift
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — for digging
  10. degree — temperature
  11. face — to confront
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — a city
  18. degree — an amount
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. face — to point toward
  22. degree — from a university
  23. present — there
  24. mine — belonging to me

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