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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. content — the amount
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. degree — temperature
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. last — to go on
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. last — final
  15. degree — from a university
  16. content — happy
  17. snap — to click
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — on a finger

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