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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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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 · pound · wave · mate · kick · temple

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mate — a partner
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kick — in football
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mate — to breed
  13. degree — temperature
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wave — with your hand

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