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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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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: wake · degree · prune · stick · temple · safe

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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