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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: lean · degree · temple · chip · mark · spring · cap · fan

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spring — a coil
  8. degree — from a university
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cap — a lid
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cap — a hat
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — of water
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chip — to eat
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lean — thin
  24. fan — to cool the air

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