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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 120 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 · object · foot · track · degree · temple · snap · rock

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. degree — from a university
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rock — a stone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. degree — temperature
  12. track — a path
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mate — a friend
  20. object — an aim
  21. mate — to breed
  22. snap — to click
  23. rock — music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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