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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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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: object · temple · degree · rush · face · date · bulb · game

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. face — part of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. date — the fruit
  7. face — to point toward
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. object — a thing
  14. game — a match
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — to protest
  19. face — to confront
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. degree — an amount
  23. game — wild animals
  24. object — an aim

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