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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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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: lean · ground · temple · safe · racket · land · mate · degree

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — ground
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ground — the earth
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ground — a position
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lean — thin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — for tennis
  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