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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: mate · firm · degree · temple · lie · wax · spell · stock

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. firm — a company
  3. stock — shares
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lie — to recline
  6. firm — steady
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. firm — decided
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — from a university
  23. spell — magic
  24. stock — goods

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