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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
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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: roll · temple · prune · mouse · degree · bound · chest · rule

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bound — tied together
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. degree — temperature
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. chest — a box
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. roll — a list
  13. degree — from a university
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rule — a law
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — government

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