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

Word bank: degree · prune · temple · wave · firm · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bank — for money
  5. degree — temperature
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — decided
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bank — of a river
  16. firm — steady
  17. degree — from a university
  18. firm — a company

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