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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: mug · degree · temple · present · key · wave

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. present — the time now
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mug — a face
  6. key — the most important part
  7. present — a gift
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. key — in music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mug — a cup
  17. present — there
  18. degree — an amount

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