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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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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 · bay · pit · fall · temple · mate · roll · lie

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mate — to breed
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. roll — a list
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fall — the season

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