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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: degree · squash · wind · mouse · temple · hide · scale · suit

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — in cards

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