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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · ball · rock · spring · dip · degree · temple · staff

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. degree — an amount
  3. staff — employees
  4. spring — a coil
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rock — music
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — employees
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spring — the season
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wind — moving 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